WILMINGTON, Del. - A Delaware federal bankruptcy judge on Dec. 16 rejected a request by three people who were exposed to asbestos but do not yet have an asbestos-related disease to represent a class of similar claimants in the Chapter 11 case of Energy Future Holdings Corp. (EFH) (In re: Energy Future Holdings Corp., No. 14-10979, D. Del. Bkcy.).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Chapter 11 debtor Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC and the Official Committee of Asbestos Personal Injury Claimants agree on one issue in their heated battle over Garlock's $500 million plan of reorganization - that the debtor's liability for non-mesothelioma asbestos claims is estimated at 17.65 percent of its aggregate liability for mesothelioma claims, according to a stipulation and order signed Dec. 8 by a North Carolina federal bankruptcy judge (In re: Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC, No. 10-31607, W.D. N.C. Bkcy.).

NEW YORK - The justice overseeing New York asbestos litigation issued an order to show cause Nov. 16 about why he should not quash a subpoena seeking to depose the author of a legal commentary published in Mealey's Asbestos Bankruptcy Report (In re: New York City Asbestos Litigation, All Weitz & Luxenberg Asbestos Cases, No. 040000/88, N.Y. Sup., New York Co.).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The latest request for compensation by the financial adviser for the asbestos claimants' committee in the Chapter 11 case of Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC should be reduced by more than $104,000 because some of the adviser's work was not needed or duplicates work that was already done, Garlock contends in a Nov. 16 objection to the adviser's request for payment filed in North Carolina federal bankruptcy court (In re: Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC, et al., No. 10-31607, W.D. N.C. Bkcy.).

NEW YORK - A request by an asbestos personal injury attorney to impose sanctions against two attorneys representing an asbestos trust that filed a declaratory judgment action against him should be rejected and the trust should be awarded attorney fees because the request "amounts to a procedurally improper exercise in vituperation, made without legal or factual support," the trust says in a Nov. 12 opposition brief filed in New York federal bankruptcy court (In re Johns-Manville Corporation, et al., No. 82-11656 [Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust v. Michael J. Mandelbrot and The Mandelbrot Law Firm, No. 15-01296], S.D. N.Y. Bkcy.).

SAN FRANCISCO - A California judge on Nov. 5 ordered the end of the conservatorship of an insurer and authorized a final $3.1 million distribution to a liquidating trust (Dave Jones, Insurance Commissioner of the State of California v. Majestic Insurance Company, No. CPF-11-511261, Calif. Super., San Francisco Co.).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The asbestos claimants' committee in the Chapter 11 case of Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC should be ordered to produce "nonpublic" communications its members have made with claimants about Garlock's proposed plan of reorganization so the debtor can determine whether the committee has been attempting to improperly discredit the plan, Garlock says in a Nov. 5 motion filed in North Carolina federal bankruptcy court (In re: Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC, et al., No. 10-31607, W.D. N.C. Bkcy.).

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A Pennsylvania judge on Oct. 30 ordered the liquidation of an insurer following the consent to the liquidation by the insurer's sole shareholder (In re: Regis Insurance Company In Liquidation, No. 1 REG 2015, Pa. Cmwlth.).

PHILADELPHIA - With the Chapter 11 plan of reorganization for The Flintkote Co. and Canadian affiliate Flintkote Mines Ltd. becoming effective and the plan being substantially consummated, the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Oct. 8 dismissed an appeal of the plan confirmation by Flintkote's former parent company at the request of all parties (Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited, et al. v. The Flintkote Company, et al., No. 14-3367, 3rd Cir.).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Negotiations conducted after Jan. 16 between asbestos claimants and Chapter 11 debtor Garlock Sealing Technologies LLC on a plan of reorganization for the debtor will be kept confidential and out of the reach of discovery in the plan confirmation process based on a stipulation between the parties, a North Carolina federal bankruptcy ruled Sept. 23 (In re: Garlock Sealing Technologies, LLC, No. 10-31607, W.D. N.C. Bkcy.).